Chapter 84 Misunderstanding "Boss Zhu, the way you're brushing me off is..."
"Please be lenient with Boss Zhu in a moment," Yue Lin said with a half-smile, before turning to join the other groomsmen.
The room was in complete chaos. Today's main characters were Zhuang Xiaoqian and Liu Lanjun, and no one cared about anyone or anything other than the bride and groom.
Zhu Liushuang concealed her unease, feigning composure as she walked to the wedding bed and stood next to one of the bridesmaids.
"The first game of the wedding procession is ring toss. The groom should wear a reindeer antler hat, and the best man should stand two meters away and take turns tossing the rings. If you miss, you get a red envelope..." Qinqin took the game card and loudly read out the game rules.
Soon, the scene became lively. Red envelopes kept being handed to the bridesmaids. Photographers and videographers kept changing positions, their hands practically smoking from pressing the shutter. Zhu Liushuang finally understood the situation: the so-called wedding games were just a pretext to entertain the groomsmen and liven up the atmosphere, and of course, there was something more important—"taking photos."
After playing several games, the groomsmen made a complete fool of themselves, while the bridesmaids couldn't stop laughing.
The elders, who had been waiting downstairs for a long time, saw that the younger generation was not coming down for a long time, and hurriedly sent a representative to urge them: "Hurry up, the newlyweds still have to serve tea in a little while, don't miss the auspicious time."
The room was buzzing with excitement when a few young people responded with "Hey, hey," as if they had heard them. After the "guess the lip print" game ended, the bridesmaid, Qinqin, regretfully put down the game cards and said, "You guys really got off easy today. There were so many other games we hadn't played... Lao Liu, you'd better treat our Qianqian well!"
"Absolutely..." Liu Lanjun waved his hand generously, stuffing a stack of red envelopes into Qinqin's hand. "Thank you all for being so lenient. Old Liu thanks you in advance!"
"Brother Liu, we still need to find wedding shoes!" A-Yun covered her mouth and chuckled, then reached out to block Zhuang Xiaoqian.
"Yes, yes, we need to find wedding shoes!" Several bridesmaids echoed.
"Old Liu, are your red envelopes enough? Ten red envelopes for one clue..."
Unexpectedly, this happened halfway through the day. Liu Lanjun turned to her cousin with a bitter face and asked, "A-Yue, are there any more red envelopes?"
Standing behind him, Yue Lin helplessly spread his hands: "We've given them all, they've all gone into their pockets..."
"It's okay, we can create a group chat face-to-face. Just send the message directly to the group." Qinqin quickly took out her phone. "Four sixes, everyone hurry up and join the group."
"Ding-dong, ding-dong—" People kept joining the group chat.
Liu Lanjun received a subtle signal from Zhuang Xiaoqian and immediately sent out twenty 100-yuan red envelopes in one go. Everyone in the group was having a great time grabbing them. Zhu Liushuang won the best luck award twice in a row and wondered if she should give them some useful clues.
She smiled slightly and looked up, but before she could open her mouth, she heard A-Yun say in a serious tone, "The clue, of course, is in this room."
“How can this be called a clue?” the groomsmen protested for the groom. “At least you should define a specific range! Old Liu just sent out twenty clues, now give us another one.”
"There aren't any in the restroom. Pretty generous of you, right? If you want to know more, you'll have to send another one!"
“Sister-in-law, isn’t Lao Liu’s money your money too? Don’t you feel bad about it?” Yue Lin spoke up at the right time.
To everyone's surprise, Zhuang Xiaoqian wasn't fooled at all: "I don't care, sisters, keep hitting me!"
A tug-of-war ensued, dubbed "Finding the Wedding Shoes," with the groomsmen pulling out all the stops to search the room. Watching them search from drawers to lamp bases, from under the bed to the ceiling, Zhu Liushuang didn't dare blink.
The handbag on her wrist was very noticeable, and she subtly concealed it under her skirt. She thought no one was paying attention to her, but unexpectedly, someone pushed past them and appeared right in front of her.
The man crossed his arms, with a few colorful confetti stuck to his head. His almond-shaped eyes were slightly narrowed, clearly smiling, yet his gaze made Zhu Liushuang feel uneasy.
"Boss, you've had a great day! How many red envelopes did you get?" Everyone was busy looking for shoes, but Yue Lin wasn't in a hurry at all.
Why come to chat with her at this time? Zhu Liushuang moved her lips: "It's alright, not too much."
"Not much? Your bag must be full, right?" Yue Lin's gaze was fixed on the handbag behind her skirt.
This person...did they figure it out? Her sisters' advice flashed through her mind, and she decided to take the initiative, saying, "Dr. Yue, do you want to see how many red envelopes I received? How about I share some with you?" As she spoke, she knocked on the side of the bag, pretending to open the zipper.
Yue Lin circled her face, then shook his head and said, "No need... Boss Zhu, you can keep it for yourself!"
"They're all looking for wedding shoes, aren't you going to help?" Zhu Liushuang breathed a sigh of relief and asked, not wanting to be bothered.
"Looking for it—" Yue Lin deliberately dragged out the last syllable, and while she looked down, he flipped his wrist and grabbed the edge of her handbag. "I found it, didn't I!"
A faint blush rose on the back of her neck, and Zhu Liushuang still put up a last-ditch effort: "Why are you pulling my bag?"
Her pair of glassy eyes were wide open, showing a hint of embarrassment and anger.
The commotion they made attracted the attention of passersby. Ah Yun, who had been watching the best man rummage through the drawers, quickly stepped in to cover for Zhu Liushuang: "Hey, hey, little brother, let go. There's no right to snatch someone's red envelope!"
"Sister—I'm not trying to steal your red envelope!" Yue Lin's eyes flashed, and he suddenly raised his voice to call out to Liu Lanjun, "Brother, the wedding shoes are here!"
The commotion spread from all around, and under the unanimous gaze of everyone, Zhu Liushuang had nowhere to hide.
"Whether it's inside or not, we'll know once we open it and take a look." Yue Lin looked at the person in front of him with earlobes as red as pomegranate seeds, feeling confident of victory.
She had done her best! Zhu Liushuang looked up and gave Ayun an apologetic look.
"It's okay, we've already got the red envelopes. Let's give them to them..."
Zhu Liushuang obediently did as she was told. With a "hiss," the zipper opened, and she pulled out the wedding shoe from under a series of red envelopes.
"You hid it well!" Yue Lin caught the shoe and tossed it into Liu Lanjun's hands, then turned to ask, "Why is there only one?"
"There really isn't any left!" Zhu Liushuang hurriedly opened her bag. "If you don't believe me, look for yourself."
"The other one isn't hiding on you, is it?"
Unable to bear Yue Lin's probing gaze, she awkwardly waved her hand, saying, "No, absolutely not! Go look elsewhere."
The groomsmen spent over ten minutes searching for a pair of wedding shoes. Finally, Zhuang Xiaoqian couldn't stand it anymore and took the shoes out from under her dress. "Oh my, our bride can't wait to get married!"
"Sister-in-law, if you had taken it out earlier, Old Liu wouldn't have had to suffer such a huge loss!"
The wedding procession finally reached the most exciting part: the confession.
Amidst the teasing and jeers of the crowd, Liu Lanjun took out a piece of red paper folded into a neat square from his trouser pocket, and solemnly walked up to Zhuang Xiaoqian and knelt on one knee.
"Ahem—Qianqian." The groom cleared his throat and unfolded the red paper. Everyone around him held their breath instantly, feeling inexplicably nervous for him.
Zhuang Xiaoqian, unusually shy, covered one corner of her mouth with her fan and said reproachfully, "Make it quick, we're in a hurry!"
“That won’t do. I spent two days and two nights drafting this.” Liu Lanjun stood tall, her forehead glistening with sweat. “My dear Qianqian, it’s been 963 days since we met. Do you still remember…”
As soon as the groom finished reading his heartfelt vows, someone handed him a wedding vow card from behind.
Liu Lanjun held the vow card in both hands and read it aloud: "My dearest wife, from now on, I will only love you, pamper you, and never lie to you. I will do everything I promise you... In my heart, you are the most beautiful, and you will always be the only one in my heart."
"That's too cheesy!" After reading the last part, he simply threw away the vow card, stepped forward and grabbed Zhuang Xiaoqian's hand, "Wife, these words are all empty words. From now on, you will be in charge of our family's finances. We'll listen to you on small matters, and discuss big matters together."
The man, who was usually not good with words, made a heartfelt and solemn promise in front of everyone, and tears welled up in Zhuang Xiaoqian's eyes.
"The groom may kiss the bride now." To get the best angle for the photo, the photographer simply pressed himself against the window.
"Give me a kiss, give me a kiss..." The crowd clapped rhythmically, igniting the atmosphere.
The tiring wedding procession came to an end, and the newlyweds, surrounded by everyone, went downstairs to serve tea. Zhu Liushuang lagged behind the crowd when someone unexpectedly touched her arm.
"Liu Shuang, you and Yue Lin... know each other?"
It was the bridesmaid A-Yun's voice. Zhu Liushuang could read something intriguing in her ambiguous eyes.
"Um...we're not very familiar with each other. We've just happened to meet a few times before." Since she couldn't avoid the topic, she readily admitted it.
"I noticed that guy was glancing at you intentionally or unintentionally. Is he trying to pursue you?" A-Yun signaled. "How about I play matchmaker for you two?"
Zhu Liushuang paused on the stairs, awkwardly touching her earlobe. "Thank you, Sister Yun, but no need."
"That's a pity..." A-Yun sighed as she walked downstairs, while Zhu Liushuang deliberately slowed down to keep a distance from her.
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The Zhuang and Liu families held their banquet at a very famous garden hotel in Gucheng, with forty tables, which was quite a grand affair.
Like most wedding ceremonies, Zhuang Xiaoqian's wedding also included tear-jerking emotional moments and witty banter from the emcee.
The bride and groom set off to toast the guests, leaving only two bridesmaids at the main table who didn't drink, Zhu Liushuang being one of them. On the stage adorned with hydrangeas, the emcee was dancing and singing "Red Sun," throwing dolls wherever the applause was loudest.
Zhu Liushuang clapped sparsely for a while, but found that even though her palms were red from clapping, the emcee didn't even glance in her direction, so she stopped clapping in frustration.
"Want a doll?" Yue Lin had returned at some point. Because he had been drinking, there were two faint blushes on his face, and his gaze towards her was ambiguous.
The man sat down next to her without any hesitation, picked up his chopsticks, and stuffed a pearl glutinous rice ball into his mouth. Zhu Liushuang watched him wolf down the food and pressed down on the tablecloth, saying, "Thank you, but I don't want a doll."
Yue Lin put down his chopsticks and suddenly leaned forward, his suit sleeve brushing against the back of her hand: "Boss Zhu, are you only rejecting me, or are you rejecting the kindness of all men?"
They were less than ten centimeters apart, and the smell of alcohol wafted out. Zhu Liushuang subconsciously leaned back, her shoulder hitting the back of the chair.
She winced in pain, pursing her lips to avoid the other person's burning gaze.
I thought I had made my point clear enough at the high-speed rail station that day, but why is this person so stubborn?
"Dr. Yue, although it may seem like I'm being presumptuous to say this, I still want to tell you that I already have someone I like."
Suddenly, the music blared on the stage.
She suppressed her urge to leave immediately and maintained basic politeness.
"I see..." The man sat back down in his seat, muttering to himself, "Boyfriend?"
Not boyfriend, but husband.
She longed to tell him this with conviction, but unfortunately, she couldn't.
"So... you haven't caught up yet?" Yue Lin curled his lips in self-deprecation, his eyes revealing his disappointment. "I originally thought we were destined to be together, maybe even matchmaker from heaven. Now it seems I'm a step too late."
The lights in the banquet hall dimmed, and the emcee changed to a love song, singing it with deep emotion.
The speakers were too close, and the booming sound made Zhu Liushuang's eardrums throb. She rubbed her ears uncomfortably.
As I turned my head, a familiar yet blurry profile suddenly appeared in my line of sight. The man was dressed in a suit and tie, and was eating his food slowly and deliberately with his head down.
He... also came to the wedding?
For a moment, everything around seemed to fall silent and lose its color; Zhu Liushuang's world consisted only of him. Her fingernails scratched crescent-shaped marks on her palm, and Zhu Liushuang suddenly stood up.
She wanted to see him more clearly!
But he suddenly turned around and disappeared into the shadows.
"Boss Zhu, why are you standing up?"
"Zhu Liushuang, have you lost your mind?"
Zhu Liushuang sat down dejectedly in the chair, barely managing to reply to Yue Lin, "My legs are a little numb from sitting for so long, let's get up and rest for a bit."
"Boss Zhu, you're making no attempt to hide your perfunctory attitude towards me," Yue Lin said half-jokingly.
"Feel sorry."
The atmosphere was somewhat tense. She really didn't want to continue arguing with Yue Lin, so she silently turned her gaze to the stage. Her eyes wandered aimlessly, and a part of her heart felt like it was letting the wind through.
He had already returned, but he hadn't mentioned it to her at all.
They haven't been in contact for many days.
If she doesn't message him, will he not take the initiative to contact her?
But she still couldn't help liking him!
"Where's the applause?" The emcee, tired of singing, started a new round of the song-guessing game.
"Here! Here!" Yue Lin jumped up, clapping and shouting, "Look here—"
"Handsome, do you want this teddy bear?" The microphone was handed to Yue Lin's mouth. "If you can finish the lyrics, you can have it."
When Zhu Liushuang, who was secretly heartbroken, came to her senses again, a teddy bear bigger than herself was inexplicably shoved into her hand. Confused, she turned to Yue Lin, seemingly seeking an answer.
"I saw you staring at this bear without even blinking, and I got it for you!" the man said casually. "Boss Zhu, since we're so destined to meet, we can at least be friends, right?"
Xu Xu hugged the teddy bear, and Zhu Liushuang stammered, "Friend?"
"Yeah! We've met so many times, and we haven't even added each other on WeChat. I added you through your group name card, remember to accept."
A flash of light appeared on the phone on the table. Zhu Liushuang said "Okay" but didn't move her hands at all.
"Old He, why are you only drinking tea and not eating any food?" At the male guest table, more than ten meters away from the main table, Gu Xufeng refilled He Ming's tea. "Last time at the company team building, I thought you and Zhu Liushuang had something going on... Now it seems that I was just overthinking it."
He Ming remained silent, so Gu Xufeng continued gossiping: "That guy who just stood up to sing, I saw him at the music festival last time... Today I passed by the garden, and they were filming an outdoor scene there. Oh my, that guy was helping her with her shoes and supporting her as she walked, his eyes were practically glued to Zhu Liushuang."
The person holding the teacup had dark eyes and a faint chill between their brows, but Gu Xufeng, oblivious to this, didn't notice.
"He's definitely Zhu Liushuang's boyfriend! Even if he isn't, it'll happen soon... Look how close they are talking, a best man and a bridesmaid, they're a perfect match! Old He, Old He..."
He Ming silently took a strawberry from the fruit plate and blocked Gu Xufeng's throat, saying, "Are you tired of talking? Clear your throat."
Gu Xufeng puffed out his cheeks and chewed a couple of times: "So you can be this thoughtful sometimes. We've almost finished eating, let's go back after the bride and groom finish their toasts..."
"Old He, why don't you answer?" Gu Xufeng complained, but saw He Ming turn off his phone and look into the distance, seemingly looking at something.
At the same time, Zhu Liushuang's phone lit up with a "ding".
A message notification flashed on the screen.
[He Ming: I just returned to Gucheng the day before yesterday. It's a bit cold outside today, so please dress warmly.]
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Author's note: I'm so stressed out by the competition, I've revised the manuscript again and again, and my boss is still not satisfied [clown][clown] and wants to just give up!
"My dearest wife, from this day forward, I will only love you, pamper you, and never lie to you. I will keep every promise I make to you... In my heart, you are the most beautiful, and you will always be the only one in my heart." — Wedding vow card content from the internet.
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